Photo credit: Bernadine Donovan Hodge Clinton.
BERNADINE DONOVAN is the daughter of John and Loretta Carew Donovan.
When “Bernie” was born on April 20, 1921, in Bernard, Iowa, her father, John, was 31 and her mother, Loretta, was 27.
Bernie married Floyd Thomas (“Tom”) Sanborn Hodge on November 22, 1941, in Phelps County, Missouri. They had three children during their marriage:
Bernadine and Tom were divorced around 1964, and the marriage was annulled. She married Paul F. Clinton (May 20, 1929 – May 4, 1987) on May 3, 1967.
As was somewhat customary of the time, Bernie did not continue on to high school. Her formal education ended around 1935, once she completed the eighth grade. This was a regret of hers. She also put off learning how to drive, as her brother Leonard died in an auto accident in 1942.
In the early 1970s, around the time she turned 50 years old, Bernie completed her high school education and received her driver’s license.
Bernadine Donovan Clinton died on May 6, 2005. She is buried next to her beloved Paul in the Aetna Township Cemetery in Morley, Mecosta County, Michigan.
Whenever she came to visit, she would always squeeze our kids cheeks saying ” my how you have grown”. This comes up on many memories of the Michigan visitors. This is how they remember their great aunt Bernadine.❤️❤️ D
She was such a brave, hardworking gal.